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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com